It's a small world after all

[Pinboy]

Let's lighten things up a bit ----

How about we share a story or two under the title '' It's a small world after all "-- Ok, I'll start .

A few years ago we shared a table at lunch with another couple on the Reflection in the Ocean View . 

After the usual  " Where are you from, what cruises have you been on, are you enjoying this cruise ? " 

The " where are you from " question escalated to '' Is your son  Pinboy Jr  who works at XYZ Company "----- Yes, Why ??

Answer --- '' Really, ---- I work for him !!! "  

It's a small world after all.

 

[dkjretired]

On our 15th wedding anniversary (couple of decades ago) we sailed out of FLL On the Century. During the cruise we ran into three of my cousins that I had not seen for many years.  Funny thing was we had seen a man on the Cruise who was the spitting image of someone we worked with, turned out he was not related but was with my cousins party.

 

We also have met people on Bermuda cruiseA which attract loads of people from The Northeast. Two consecutive years we met two of our sons favorite teachers.

Edited August 25, 2020 by dkjretired

[K.T.B.]

Excluding our cruises that have left from San Juan, the cab drivers who took us to the the ship for our last 4 cruises have been from the Chicago area.

 

To go even further, the last time we were in Las Vegas (2006), the cab driver who picked us up at the airport was from the Chicago area.  Literally the town bordering mine!  (I'm in one of the W/SW burbs.  Think "zoo".) We talked about what had changed, how things were when he lived here, etc.

 

 

 

 

[Mike981]

Standing in line talking to my wife as we were waiting to check in to fly home from the Montego Bay airport. The woman in front of us turns around and asks, "are you Mike from 98 Country?" Busted. Doubt she knew my face since I refused to do billboards to keep life more private.

Another trip we were with the kids at Disney World and ran into one of my wife's past daycare families. 

[STLCRUISIN]

Several years ago we were on an Azamara cruise. As we were standing off the back of the ship while cruising through the Bosporus on our way to the Black Sea one of us said, "Who would have thought that two kids from Saint Charles, Missouri would be seeing the world like this." Just then a woman sitting about 6 feet from us said, "Hey, I'm from Saint Charles too!" We've become good friends and keep in touch to this day.

[cruznjan]

On a recent cruise with cousins on my father's side, I had a conversation with my cousin-in-law and found out we're related on my mother's side.

[markeb]

Twice, not cruise related.

 

Mid 90's, Grand Lake, CO. Don't remember where we were, but turned around and the Air Force chaplain we'd known in Korea is standing in the shop. Had a nice, but short conversation.

 

Late 90's, Fredericksburg, TX. We're in the brewpub in town, having a beer at the bar, and there's a guy at the bar who looks familiar. I think my wife went over to talk to him. He'd been an AF pilot, same Air Base, and was now flying for I think American. Totally crazy.

[K.T.B.]

42 minutes ago, STLCRUISIN said:

Several years ago we were on an Azamara cruise. As we were standing off the back of the ship while cruising through the Bosporus on our way to the Black Sea one of us said, "Who would have thought that two kids from Saint Charles, Missouri would be seeing the world like this." Just then a woman sitting about 6 feet from us said, "Hey, I'm from Saint Charles too!" We've become good friends and keep in touch to this day.

 

We'll, how about this one?  My wife is from St. Charles, MO.

[Georgia_Peaches]

I encountered a former student and their family while having a beer at a sidewalk cafe in the Las Ramblas market area.  Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas out of Barcelona in 2015.  What I learned?  There's nowhere in the world where I can get a drink without looking over my shoulder.  Thank Goodness I retired!

[Doctor G]

A few years ago I was checking into a hotel in San Antonio, TX.  The receptionist told us she had  previously worked in the cruise industry, and that she had been part of the activities staff.  We told her our favorite Cruise Director was Sue Denning.  Turned out she worked for Sue. 

[CruiserfaeFife]

Twice, both waiting in a line, both in Greece.

 

1. Standing waiting to board an inter-island ferry in Piraeus, going to Paros. Turned around to find ex-school friend, from same small town in Scotland, standing behind me. 
 

2. On Hydra, in line to buy tickets for hydrofoil to Piraeus. Person behind me taps me on shoulder and says “weren’t we on safari together in Kenya last year?”  Err...yes!

 

DW asks “Is there anywhere we can go where you don’t know someone??!!”

[Fouremco]

As a child, I grew up in England for a number of years. Moving forward, in the late 1960's I was heavily involved in car rallying, including competing at the national level. The reigning Canadian champions (Doug and Walt) also lived in Ottawa at the time, and we knew one another quite well. One year,  Doug was in England and spectating on a stage at the RAC Rally when he struck up a conversation with another spectator named Mike. During the course of their conversation, Mike asked Doug where he was from. When hearing that Doug lived in Canada, Mike responded that he knew someone who lived in Canada: Fouremco. Needless to say, Doug was shocked. Mike, equally amazed, explained that our mothers had been lifelong friends, that we had been close friends as children, and that we had spent time together during a visit to England a few years earlier. Doug recounted this "it's a small world" encounter when he returned to Ottawa.  

[Cachecara]

A year ago last May, my DH and I were in a small group touring the Vatican.  We were on a break and talking to those around us. Short story, the man I was speaking with works with my brother.  

[cirpi]

Decades ago,t I overhead a man at a bar in Lusaka, Zambia tell another that he was from Seattle.

I butted in, mentioned that I, too, was from Seattle. He introduced himself as Bob Strom. When returned home, my then teenage daughter introduced me to Bob Strom, her new boyfriend, and the son of the Bob Strom I met in Lusaka. . 

[chemmo]

We arrived at our hotel in Orlando for a week enjoying the theme parks before cruising. We were waiting with our luggage for the lift, I was saying to my husband “Well, time to switch off from work now and relax...” The lift door opened to reveal one of my husband’s most trying customers! Both jumped in surprise, exchanged pleasantries and we were relieved to find he was leaving next morning...

 

[Lady President]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

We arrived at our hotel in Orlando for a week enjoying the theme parks before cruising. We were waiting with our luggage for the lift, I was saying to my husband “Well, time to switch off from work now and relax...” The lift door opened to reveal one of my husband’s most trying customers! Both jumped in surprise, exchanged pleasantries and we were relieved to find he was leaving next morning...

 

I have to laugh because the first example that popped into my mind was me as the customer.

 

We were at a wine tasting and were chatting with the passengers next to us about work.  She was feeling guilty because she went on vacation and left her team to do a large proposal that was due the last day of the trip.  It ended up being a proposal for my team.  I picked the submission date so it would be ready when I got back from vacation.  Needless to say, I gave them an extension so she could review it when she got home. 

[bobndee]

I was at Sandals in Jamaica. At dinner one night all the tables for two were in use so we asked the couple behind us if they would care to share a table for four. They agreed. Turns out they were from Wake Forest, NC, just like we were. Saw them around town after returning home, too.

[Orator]

We took our son on a cruise to celebrate his 21st birthday and within 5 minutes of boarding he ran into a fraternity brother. Neither knew that the other was on a cruise. Later on the same cruise he spotted his math professor. Needless to say he had fun with his frat brother and avoided his professor.

[cangelmd]

My husband and son went to Italy on spring break one year (DH was a high school teacher then). They were going into the train station in Venice and met our kids’ preschool teacher on her way out of the station. It was definitely one of those “I know you!” moments, because we hadn’t seen her in 7 years or so.

WDW is easy because we are a Mardi Gras city and when our kids were younger that week vacation was prime time to go to Orlando. You would almost always see several people you knew because all the schools were out. It’s a lot more fun when you don’t feel like you have to see it all because this is the kids one trip.

[George C]

I was in a pool in a resort in Puerto Vallarta some 20 years ago talking to a couple turns out we all went to the same high school in Brooklyn I graduated in 1966 they did in 1967. 

[pete_coach]

Was at a meet a meet and greet with the Roll Call Cruise Critic crowd on the aft upper deck of the Solstice and enjoying the company of all the folks. The typical where are you from and your first cruise types of conversations.  We met a couple from Vancouver (my home town but haven't lived there for decades due to being in the Air Force). We started to talk and it turned out I went to the same school as this persons Wife. Not only that, we were in the same graduating class. I did not remember her but she recognized my name. I was a jock and she was not... we hung with different crowds. We did meet after that for drinks ad on excursions. We still communicate.

30+ years later in a port in Italy, I run into a school mate...It is a small world after all 🙂

[spencerdrivecruiser]

On the SL a few years back heading out of Sydney.  The Elevator opened and a co worker and his wife were standing in the back.  When you see someone unexpectedly, your mind gets a bit confused but seconds later it was a grand reunion.  Guess, we kept our personal business at work to ourselves and neither one of us had a clue.

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

When my hubby and I returned from a tour in Korea, we were visiting old friends in Charleston, SC.  Hubby and his friend went to a South Carolina football game because they were playing our team, UT (that's as in Univ. of Tennessee, lest you see the wrong color of Orange!)  As they were heading up in the stands, someone yells out "Hey, Doc!"  Turns out it was a patient of my hubby's from Korea!  Certainly a small world!

Thanks for a fun topic while we await better cruise times!

[SharC]

Shortly after we were married, we embarked on a Panama Canal cruise departing from Acapulco. It was memorable as it was our first time going through the canal, we made some friends we still communicate with today and have several stories that our friends are tired of hearing.

One of the memorable events was the day my husband was coming back from the gym. My husband was wearing a T-shirt from a restaurant in our area. While we were getting on the elevator, a female passenger saw the T-shirt, looked up, recognized him and called his name. Unfortunately, it was his ex-wife, whom he had not seen for years.

Near the end of the cruise, the Captain announced there was a hurricane headed toward us. So the ship turned south and, after a couple of days, we docked at Aruba. Royal Caribbean chartered several planes for every one on board, and arranged for flights to our hometowns. It was most impressive

We are still not sure which event was most memorable

[Orator]

Two more small world stories. The first night we were seated at a large table and we were the only two. The next night the table was filled by other passengers. We introduce ourselves and one of the passengers had a familiar name. He was an NFL running back with the Washington Redskins. It turned out that his High School football coach served as an usher at my wedding. We had lots to talk about!

The next story involves a frequently Celebrity cruiser who unfortunately is no longer with us. A group of Zeniths were gathered in Michael's Club before our rooms were available. A Suite passenger entered by himself and we invited him to sit with us. Long story short he was the next door neighbor of the now deceased Zenith and they had NEVER met!I remarked that their houses were either large or the fact they never met was a sign of the friendliness of their neighborhood.